Cleaner with endless belt differentially pressed against the floor



26, 1952 v. 5. MAGNUSON ,60

CLEANER WITH ENDLESS BELT DIFFERENTIALLY PRESSED AGAINST THE FLOOR Filed March 12, 1946 2 SHEETSS"nEET 1 l5 5: 1 I6 47 1 15: 83 4a 66 86 e o o o t O I n l la H 4 6 38 INVENTOR.

Vern/e G. Magnuson g- 26, 1952 v. G. MAGNUSON ,6 ,93

CLEANER WITH ENDLESS BELT DIFFERENTIALLY PRESSED AGAINST THE FLOOR Filed March 12, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN V EN TOR. Vim/e Ma n uson Patented Aug. 26, 1952 CLEANER WITH ENDLESS BELT DIFFEREN- TIALLY PRESSED AGAINST THE FLOOR Vernie G. Magnuson, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application March 12, 1946, Serial No. 653,779

Claims.

My invention relates to floor cleaners having a cleaner belt with a longitudinal extended portion contacting the floor, with devices for differentially pressing longitudinal portion of said belt against the floor of the type where electrical means constantly moves a belt member in contact with the floor, in combination with means for difierentially applying pressure to the belt member across its width so as to cause it to move into engagement with all parts of the floor and thereby continuously to clean and pick up material from the floor, together with means for removing the material so picked up and to supply fresh liquid to the belt.

As is well known, the cleaning of floors, particularly those where the public moves about in considerable numbers, presents a quite serious problem. Common means of using scrubbing brush, brooms, mops and the like are old and well known but involve a great deal of hard labor and do not supply continuously the liquid for effecting cleaning, or have means for removing the dirt material from the liquid and maintaining the scrubbing member in an effective refreshed condition.

Heretofore attempts havebeen made to provide an effective floor scrubbing device by. continuously moving an endless belt over an area where it is supposed to contact the floor and thence through a receptacle holding water or "othercleansing liquid, where the dirt picked up by the belt is supposed to be removed and cleaner water be carried back to the floor-contacted areas again. A very serious difficulty has been encountered in this type of operation. For floors, even when newly laid, and to a much greater extent after they have been worn for some time, do not in' fact have a level top surface, but the surface includes not only worn spots, but places where tiles, if used, are set out slightly from other tiles. The result has been that heretofore the scrubbing belt has failed to contact considerable areas of the floor with the result that such areas are not washed, the dirt is not picked up and the entire operation of such devices has failed for those reasons.

Another serious difiiculty in operating endless belt cleaning devices has been that effective means of emptying the cleamng solution when it has become foul with the material picked up from easily and frequently has not heretofore been found. Even Where a receptacle is some form of bucket and is so mounted in the machine that it may in and of itself be withdrawn therefrom and restored thereto with fresh cleaning liquid, this has not proved as practical and effective as was expected and hoped for, since the liquid has to be carried by hand both to the point of discharge and to the point of replenishing and then back to the machine.

I have discovered a means of applying pressure to the belt itself as it is moved over the floor which will cause the contacting surface of the belt to move into depressions or over and about raised portions of the floor surface and to effectively gather up dirt from all parts of the floor surface.

I have also discovered a means of mounting a recetpacle upon rollersand removably securing it in the frame of the machine so'that at all times the weight of liquid in the receptacle is directly supported upon the floor, both during the periods when the scrubbing and washing operation is taking place and when the receptacle is removed from the frame of the machine to discard the dirty washing liquid in the receptacle and replenish it with fresh, clean washing liquid. This arrangement makes it convenient and nonlaborious to make frequent changes of water or water and soap solution, whereby a greatly improved washing and scrubbing effect may be accomplished.

It is a principal object of my invention, therefore, to provide a machine for scrubbing floors, wherein an endless belt is'caused to be moved over rollers which control the direction of its movement so as to present a considerable area of the belt to the surface'of the floor and to carry the belt after contacting the floor above and then down through a receptacle containing water or washing solution so that the belt as it goes to the washing area is continually clean and provided with fresh water or fresh solution; and to provide means contacting the inside of the belt over the area where washing and scrubbing of the floor takes place which will yieldingly and differentially press thev surface of the moving belt against the'fioor area being cleaned.

It is a further object of my invention to carry the frame support for the part of the belt operated over the area of the floor which is being cleaned with side frame members set inwardly from the edge of the belt, and to provide the resilient belt-pressin means of a size such as to reach substantially the edge of the belt and to outside of the outer limits of the side frame members.

It is a further object of my invention to sup-- port from the above noted frame portion a plate or plates which contacts or contact the inner or upper surface of the portion of the belt moving over the washing area, and which plate or plates is or are yieldingly pressed by springs or other means against the belt to hold the belt in its scrubbing action :between the spring-pressed plate or plates and the floor surface with a constant but yielding pressure thereon, forcingthe operating part of the belt against the floor surface.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a multiplicity of plate fingers mounted for swinging movement upon the frame of the machine above the area thereof bein washed, and to a ply independent means, such as springs or the like, for forcing each of said plate fingers independently and severally upon the upper surface of the moving belt to'hold the belt between the several fingers and the surface of the floor and to force the operative surface of the belt into all the depressions and about all of the raised portions of the floor to effect complete cleaning thereof.

It is a further object of my invention to arrange sets of plates or fingers in tandem upon the frame overlying the portion of the area where the traveling belt is operating upon the floor, each of said plates to be severally spring pressed upon the upper part of the floor-contacting portion of the belt so that there will be in effect a double pressing action upon the belt as it is moved along the surface of the floor being washed.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a frame having interconnected parts forming a support for holding an electric motor and the rollers for directing and controlling the movement of the endless belt, which frame has an extended opening at the sides and through the bottom, said opening receiving a receptacle mounted upon three or more caster wheels, said receptacle and some of the wheels thereon in turn forming a support for itself and the liquid in it and for the upper part of the entire machine, including the electric motor.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a framework having front and rear leg portions and forming the opening across it and through the bottom aforesaid and to arrange'on said framework means for locking the movable receptacle thereinto and thereto.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof which will be given in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention by which the aforesaid advantageous results are obtained will be particularly pointed out in the claims. I

In the drawings illustrating an application of my invention in some of its forms:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus in operative position, with cleaner belt omitted to show parts otherwise hidden under the belt.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation view of the en- 4 tire apparatus taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, when the plurality of narrow plates shown in Figs. 3 and 7 are employed instead of the single plate shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevation view of the machine taken from the back thereof, with the pressure plate divided both laterally and longitudinally.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the machine taken under the transverse frame plate in the part of the frame which overlies the floor-com tacting area of the cleaner belt.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation View taken on line 1--1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation view of a portion only of the machine showing the arrangement of levers for locking the bucket tank in operative position.

As illustrated, the machine comprises a mainframe part embodying side plates I0 and H. The side plates II] and H are each provided with depending front leg portions I 2 and I3, see Fig. 2. The depending parts I2 and I3 may be integral with side parts H) and II. They are rigidly connected across the top by a plate {4 which in turn is formed integral with back plate l5.

The side plates ID and H and the back plate [5 extend downwardly to a point indicated at E6 in Fig. 2. The top plate M forms a support for the electric motor l1, and the side plates l5 and H support driven rollers l8 and I9 over which runs an endless belt 29, as clearly shown inFig. 2. V

The roller i8 is driven by belt pulley 2|. goins to motor pulley 22, and the roller [9' is driven by a gear 23 on or connected with the roller l8, which gear 23 meshes with a gear 24 on roller IS, the gears 23 and 24 being of the same diameter.

A wringer roller 25 engages the belt 20 between it and roller l8; and the assemblage of rollers l8, l9 and 25 may simultaneously be moved toward the back plate l5 by means of a belt tightening apparatus comprised of arms 26 pivoted to the shaft of roller 25 and a transverse part 2'! connecting the arms 26 in which is a thumb screw 28 engaging back plate [5.

The belt 20 goes over a guide roller 29 mounted in the upper front corner of the frame. Hence when the roller assemblage l8, l9 and 25 is moved toward the rear wall l'5 it will lengthen the dis tance between the axis of roller I8 and of roller 29, and thus will eifect a corresponding lengthening of the extent of belt between said axes, ]and will result in a proper tightening of the elt.

On the lower part of legs l2 and I3 and integral therewith are horizontal frame pieces 36) and SI which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, are curved away from the lower end of legs I2 and 13 inwardly at 32 and 33 so as to bring the main parts 30 and 3| in parallel relation set-in substantially from the vertical planes of the legs l2 and I3. The members 30 and 3!, in the form shown in Fig. 1, are further curved inwardly at 34 and 35 and extend forwardly in short parallel sections 36 and 31. These sections have mounted between them a roller 38, and mounted on each side of them short roller extensions 39 and 46. A second roller 4| is mounted between the lower ends of the members 12 and It almost below a smaller roller 42 mounted higher up between legs l2 and 13, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

the floor surface indicated at 44 of Figs. 2 and '7.

Between rollers I8 and I9 the belt 20 is carried in a downwardly extending loop 45 under a roller 46 supported by arms 41 secured to pieces 48 which in turn are secured to the lower part of the side frame pieces I and I I, see Figs. 1 and 2. The motor shaft pulley 22 is connected by a V-drive belt 49 with the driven pulley 2| which drives roller I8, and the gear 23 in turn drives gear 24 and gear 24 drives roller I9.

With the above arrangement it will be apparent that the endless belt has a continuously driven movement by the rollers 38 and 4| which produces a rearward movement of the belt strip 43 upon the floor in the area to be scrubbed and washed. At the same time the belt is carried down into a mass of water or other liquid which comes to a surface indicated at 50 in Fig. 2 and contained in a removable receptacle 5|, as hereinafter described.

A top plate 52 with a front curved edge indicated at 53 of Fig. 1 is rigidly connected with the forwardly extended horizontal side arms 30 and 3|, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. A single pusher plate 54 underlies top plate 52 and overlies the horizontal stretch of scrubber band 43 which contacts the floor surface 44.

. The pusher plate 54 has secured thereto arms .55 and 56 which are pivotally connected at 51 and 58 with the inner ends of the short parallel frame sections 36 and 3'! of the forwardly extending frame members 30 and 3|.

As shown in Fig. 1, for this plate, and also for each of the other forms of plates, the side edges 59 and 60 of the plate 53 (or each of the side edges of the side plates later to be described) come substantially to the edge of the horizontal floor contacting portion 43 of the scrubber belt, as indicated in dotted lines at 6| and 62.

The plate 54 is continuously pressed downward upon the stretch 43 of belt over the floor 44 bya strong spring 63. This pusher plate may oscillate to some extent on the arms 55 and 56, 7

thus tending at all times to press the contacting surface of strip 43 upon the floor surface 44.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in Figs. 3, 6 and '7 where, in place of a single transverse presser plate such as 54, a series of finger-like plates 64, 65, 66,61 and 68 are employed. Each of these plates is of narrow extent, and each of them is provided with an arm 55, exactly as is shown in Fig. 2 applied to the single plate 54.

In place of the stub shafts 51 and 56 however the arms 55 are provided with hub portions 69, which are mounted to oscillate on a shaft I0 extending entirely across the series of arms 55 from the inner ends of the short parallel sections 36 and 31 of the forwardly extended frame members 30 and 3|.

As shown in Fig. 7 the members oscillate under a transverse plate 'II secured to the horizontal arms 30 and 3| of frame member I2. Each of the plate members carries a peg I2, which is surrounded by a spring I3, all as clearly shown in Fig. '7, thus making possible differential pressures upon the belt 43 to ride over projections and into depressions upon the floor surface 44.

As shown in Fig. 5 there arethree such pegs on each plate arranged in triangles with two pegs in front and one at the'rear. Surrounding each of the pegs I8, I9 and 801s acoiledspringfl which is positioned between the top surface of plates '|4,"|5, I6 and "I1 and thebottom surface of a transverse plate '82 secured to :plate sections 30 and 3|. All the plates I4, I5, I6 and TI float upon the operative stretch 43v of belt 20, and are capable of differential movements in every direction, thus insuring "a pressing of saidplates and by them of the stretch of belt 43' upon all parts of the floor surfaceso as to insure that the belt will be pushed into all depressions and about all raised portions of the floor'zsurface-toe'ffectively wash and clean it; 1-

As heretofore stated, the washing-liquid, which may be merely water or preferably water containing some detergent such as soap solution, is :contained in the tank 5|. This" tank or bucket occupies the space between the front leg portion I2 of the frame and a rear leg portion 83 thereof, as shown in Fig-.2. Thejbucket-5I comprises a frontwall 84 preferably sloping-back from the front, a bottom wall 85;,fa verti'cal rear wall 86 and a pair of endwallsclosely-delimited; and indicated in dotted lines at 81- and 88 in Fig. 4.

The bucket member 5I-has its upper edge 89' fitted within the turned-down extension 46 of side frame members I0 and Hand also fits in the upper part of the rear -wall-I,5;against the rear frame part I5.. It is held for ready removal by the following means: Y

A bail 90, Figs- 1; 4 and ;8,extends through a members 92 and '93 and is normally pulled downwardly by a spring 94. The spring 94 is-connected at 95 to the bail 'and at 96 to the center of the lower curved portion 91 of leg member 83.

At its ends; as shown in Fig. 8, the bail 90 is formed with arm members Hand 99- which are pivoted at I00 to hangar links- IOI. These in turn are pivoted at I02 toside frame members I0 and II. Each of the members 98 and 99 has an extension I03 beyond thepivot point I00, which extensions are provided with hooks I04 adapted to engage pins I05 fast on the outside of end walls 81 and 88. 1

The combined lever arrangement 98 and I03 with the connecting bail 90 is, therefore, adapted to oscillate on the pivots I00 at the ends of links IOI and to swing backwardlyiwith said links into an unlocking position. The unlocking position is shown in dotted lines on Fig. 8, the locking position in full lines.

In the locking position-the spring .94 has actuated the lever system to bring the hooks I04 in engagement with the, pegs. I05. This effects a lifting of the front end of .the bucket 5| and forces the front wall 84 .of the bucket into contact with the inner edges I06 of the leg portions I2 and I3.

To unlock this arrangement it is .only necessary to lift up on the bail 90 against the pull of spring 94 which rocks the hook I04 out of engagement with pegs I05, and to pull the bail backward into the end I0'I of the horizontal part of T-slot 9|. This is made possible because the hook arrangement swings on the suspending arms IOI and goes into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 8, when the bucket 84 or 5| will be entirely released within the chamber formed between front leg portion I2 and rear leg portion 83.

The bottom 85 of tank "or bucket 5| is provided with a single front caster I08 anda pair of rear casters I09 and H0. i As Shown in Figs.

'2 and'4, the front caster W8 is off the floor when the bucket is locked into the frame and the two rear casters I09 and H support the bucket and itsc'ontents and also the frame and parts carried thereby above the bucket. This permits belt frame which is over the part of the floor to be scrubbed to rock on the casters 109 and Hi] to bring the stretch of belt 43 into parallelism with the floor surface.

When the bucket is unlocked the entire machine may be rocked forward, leaving the bucket sitting on its three casters so that'it may readily be withdrawn from the space between the front and rear leg portions to be trundled over the floor to the point of "emptying and refilling.

The advantages of my invention will quite clearly appear in connection with the above recited detailed description thereof. The most important fundamental advantage is found in the fact that the pressure plates engaging the inside of the stretch 'of belt 43 actually give a pressure over a large area of said belt, force it upon the surface of the floor being washed, and at the same time permit yielding difierential pressures which cause the scrubbing belt to enter depressions and to ride over and around raised portions, whereby every bit of the surface of the floor presented to the moving belt will be thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned.

Another marked advantage of my invention comes from the fact that the belt controls give a relatively short drive to the belt and with a long submergence of the belt in the water or ether cleaning fluid, followed by a wringer action on the belt which removes excess water and thelast of the dirt from the belt.

Also since the belt portion 43 in contact with the floor travels in a direction to tend to pull the machine over the floor, but at a much greater speed than the forward motion of the machine, and with the "whole rear weight of the machine and the contents of the bucket resting upon the casters I09 and M0, the machine may be used with very little labor, the handle shown being em myea principally to hold the machine from too fast forward traveL' A further great advantage of my machine resides in the fact that the rear casters of the bucket take up substantially all the weight of the machine itself and the bucket and its contents. At the same time this arrangement is such that the entire machine can be pivoted backward upon the casters H19 and H0 to take the belt stretch 43 out of contact with the floor whenever that is desired.

Another advantage of my invention comes from the fact that the bucket itself is merely clamped between the front and rear legs of the machine and except when so clamped is entirely independent of it, together with the very simple and effective means of clamping and unclamping it. Thus it provides exceptionally effective support for the machine as a whole, and at the same time the castered bucket and its liquid contents can be transported to and from places for emptying and for refilling with very great ease.

I claim:

1. A floor scrubbing machine, comprising an endless belt, means for driving it, means directing 's'aid belt to maintain a longitudinally extended run thereof in position parallel with and to contact the floor tobe scrubbed with a. large area of the driven belt, a multiplicityof elongated plates positioned between the edges of the belt so held to engage the'upper side of a large part of said area, independent spring means operative upon each of said plates for forcing the individual plates against the belt and the outer surface of the belt against the floor, said plates acting independently to effect differential pressures over uneven portions of the floor surface.

2. A floor scrubbing machine, comprising an endless belt, means for driving it, means directing said belt to maintain a longitudinally extended run thereof in position parallel with and. contacting the floor with a large area of the driven belt, pressure applying means extending longitudinally across a considerable length of the inside of said belt and engaging the upper surface of the lower run of the belt substantially from edge to edge of the belt, said pressure applying means being separated into a multiplicity of independently operative members, and spring means independently engaging each separate member for forcing the same independently and differentially across the width of the belt and for so forcing the surface of the belt against the floor.

3. A floor scrubbing machine, comprising an endless belt, means for driving it including a mul tiplicity of rollers which hold the belt with substantially parallel and horizontal runs thereof spaced apart so as to maintain longitudinally extended one of said runs in position parallel with and contacting the floor with a large area of the driven belt, a transverse plate mounted between said parallel runs, pressure app-lying means ex tending longitudinally under said plate over a considerable length of the inside of the lower run of said belt and engaging the upper surface of the lower run of the belt substantially from edge to edge of said belt, said pressure applying means being separated longitudinally and transversely into a multiplicity of independently operative members, and a multiplicity of spring members extending between the plate and the several members and independently engaging each of said separate members for forcing the same independently and differentially across the width of the belt and for so forcing the surface of the belt against the floor.

4. A floor scrubbing machine, comprising a frame, a driven endless belt supported by said frame, a plurality of guide rollers supported by the frame and engaging said belt to form a longitudinally extending run of the belt with upper and lower portions of the run substantially parallel with a floor surface, a top plate supported by the frame and extending transversely through the extending run of the belt, a plurality of elon gated pressure plates carried by the frame in sideby-side relation to each other beneath the top' plate and above the lower portion of the belt run, and independent spring means extending between said top plate and each of the pressure plates for differentially forcing adjacent portions of the belt in contact with uneven portions of a floor surface.

5. A floor scrubbing machine, comprising a frame, a driven endless belt supported by said frame, a plurality of guide rollers supported by the frame and engaging said belt to form a longitudinally extending run of the belt with upper and lower portions of the run substantially parallel with a floor surface, a top plate supported by the frame and extending transversely through the extending run of the belt, a plurality of elongated pressure plates carried by the frame in side-by side relation to each other beneath the top plate and above the lower portion of the belt ruii, a plurality of vertically extending pegs on each of the pressure plates and extending in the direction of the top plate, and a spring about each of said pegs extending between the lower surface of the top plate and the upper surface of the pressure plate, whereby the several pressure plates are held for independent differential movement against the lower portion of the belt to hold the latter in contact with uneven portions of a floor surface.

VERNIE G. MAGNUSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Brightman Jan. 8, 1895 Gustafson Feb. 15, 1910 Seyferth Aug. 15, 1911 Deam Sept. 10, 1918 Smith Mar. 11, 1919 Kaiser Aug. 19, 1924 Megling Mar. 20, 1928 Milanovich Dec. 10, 1935 Williams Dec.13, 1938 Magnuson Sept. 29, 1942 

